


You're not Alone

by SplitGirl28



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Cetra!Cloud, Farmer!Cloud, Powerful!Cetra!Cloud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24695734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SplitGirl28/pseuds/SplitGirl28
Summary: Aerith believed all her life that she was the only one left, but that wasn't the case...what if there's another Cetra who's living a free life as opposed to his eastern counterpart?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

He was born in 1986, to his mom Mrs. Strife.

His mother was unmarried.

How can she, when his father's family forced an ultimatum because one, she's a 'regular girl' and two, he was from an affluent family whose parents were against them and forcefully engaged him to a girl 'worth their status' in society. Because they don't even know his mother's parentage as she was an adopted child of her family, being put in foster care...by a Honeybee from Honeybee Inn, a brothel run by Don Corneo. Only his ma knew that, before his grandma gave her up after five years as poverty was too much. The blue-eyed blonde colors with pale skin, came from his grandfather who wasn't lover of the year any day!

But his father loved his mother, despite her past and aware who her parents are.

He was able to give his mother a fortune and set them up a place in Nibelheim under 'a lot of secret work' and they have to live under false names so they can claim it as theirs.

Strife wasn't even their family name, but his ma would say it was symbolic given his parents' situation.

His real surname was a mystery for safety as his paternal grandparents would rather they not exist.

But he grew up loved by his mother.

While she had the stigma of an unmarried woman by the town's traditionalists, despite having come clean with her past. At least they were provided for in secret by Cloud's father. He was still rebelling against his parents' wishes after all...

He and his mother could live in comfort without worries. He could go to Junior High School in Nime, a town away from Nibelheim as Nibelheim was a poor village unable to attract the Department of Education to build advanced school levels in a poor village and let's face it, WHAT teacher, would want to work underpaid??

He thus grew up with a normal childhood with good clothes and a full stomach.

But unlike most kids, he wasn't normal by standards.

See, his mother was a little...special.

And he inherited her specialness. She fixed this bare province of theirs before moving in here actually.

Just that, he has to be careful or earn the ire of some townsfolk.

Standing out here, is a bad idea.

His ma was once from the big city in the east. She was more educated than anyone here can dream of and he inherited her old schoolbooks, teaching him at home as one, Nibelheim doesn't have a school. Too poor to afford building one that every kid here, is home-tutored with skills needed only in life. Manners, Language, Math, Housekeeping, Cooking, Weaving and Tailoring for girls while for boys, they learn Carpentry, Crafts, Farming and Hunting.

Him?

Other than those, it's Math taught in school beyond the four basics known in Nibelheim, Social Studies, Science, Art, Music, P.E and basic medical know-how such as first aid and medicine for what illnesses...

So he mostly sticks to his family. He stands out too much already.

He and his mother were 'impossibly good-looking'. They were Nibelheim's beauties. Blue-eyed blondes, skin as white as snow that made their lips stand out...it made an incongruent appearance with their clothes. Because they wore what everyone else did: farming clothes.

One last thing that made them special?

Why, its the ability to instantly create and grow life by calling on life itself, of course...

* * *

Nibelheim, 1992.

Mt. Nibel, a gloomy dark place, bare of even a single blade of grass. Not even _moss_ grew there.

But as of 1980, Mt. Nibel and Nibelheim became very, very green. And the Clouds that shrouded Mt. Nibel has disappeared, letting sunlight in into a cold mountain range, bringing warmth to Nibelheim for the first time in its history.

People were mystified as to why their mountain and area burst with life, but they weren't complaining, as they felt blessed by the gods.

Due to being VERY BEHIND in technology, they who lived off the land, don't even own a single radio or a light bulb, naturally news about the incredible and fast changes didn't spread as a news. They got very motivated in farming and for the first time, from their small, stunted crops that made them want to eat meat than those which was why Hunting was a profession, they got big ones that don't look deformed! They were very big in the eyes of the extremely backwater village. And tasted a whole lot better when cooked!

They who once lacked in food, now have oh-so-much of it they have no idea what to do with the extras after winter prep and preserving enough.

Solution?

Overeat every mealtime and snack whenever possible.

Eating a lot of vegetables and fruits actually did these malnourished, meat-eating people a lot of good. They who were very poor and the fact that nobody knew Nibelheim even existed, and Nibelheimers have no idea other places _existed,_ so they never thought of selling the excess off. Sure they had visitors who stayed over for five years in early 1970s, but they never came back after that. What remained of them, was that 'unnecessarily overly-big house outside' close to the entrance to Mt. Nibel, a good five-minute walk away from Nibelheim.

And in 1985, someone wants to move in, and had a house built after asking the Mayor for permission which was granted. He had no idea more people beyond Nibelheim even wanted to live here as when he was young, those 'Shinra people didn't stay long!' It was a house enough just for two people in the same architectural-style of Nibelheim's homes. But what made them different, was their furniture and decor, and they owned a wagon with two pet horses.

This someone, was Mrs. Strife. A single mother whose husband was felled by a deadly illness. So its just her and the child she was carrying now. She was a very beautiful lady and when she gave birth, her son Cloud grew up just as beautiful. She works as a tailor for the village and where she came from, clothes must be 'a lot prettier', but specialized more in women's clothing. Their little daughters now look cuter and their women eager to try out new styles.

They were friendly and gentle people. Though the son preferred being by himself and studying, than hanging out and playing with other kids. He only goes with them if he was asked to and never turns them down. He otherwise won't have initiative to hang out with kids. He was more interested in how things work that he was an eager student during apprenticeships come age seven. Curious little thing he was about his world.

However, Cloud invented things that made pretty noises when he was ten 'just for kicks' and introduced music that soon became a hobby when there's nothing to do.

He introduced a 'table harp' with adjustable legs incase the one using it is a child or a grown-up. A tube with seven holes and a 'breathing hole' and make different sounds when you cover the holes. Leather-covered small barrels you can strike by hand or by two sticks covered in padded leather. And one that tinkles when struck! His works gradually became toys of the children that 'played by ear' and making sounds unique to them and worked to make sounds pleasing to the ears instead of grating people's ears. But the better 'sound-maker' that soon became 'song/s', was Cloud himself. He was the inventor after all. Heck, he even uses his own voice!

He called the table-harp a 'zither', the holed tube a 'flute', the skin-covered barrels as 'drums' and the tinkling table a 'marimba'.

People learned how to combine notes to play songs eventually.

However, they can only play by day and not by night, people DO need to sleep!

But its a wholesome hobby at any rate.

Nibelheim gradually became a town of music. Just that,

'KIDS! TIME FOR YOUR APPRENTICESHIPS!!'

There was this, courtesy of annoyed parents.

And before they knew it, it became a standard courting practice. Boys who make the best songs, wins the girl.

Come 0002...

Cloud was by the mountains, playing his zither.

His song attracted a rather interesting person.

He was a person clearly struck by illness, and it even reflects on his red clothes.

'Oh my, what brings you here, visitor?' Cloud asked kindly while continuing his song.

'Well, I was wondering who's playing all the way out here...it turned out to be a youngster.' the older male has a smooth baritone. 'Are you not worried by monsters out here?'

'I have no reason to. They only attack when they feel you are a threat to them. Kids can freely come and go hence, as long as they're not dumb enough to go near. Curiosity...kills.' the man snorted at that.

'Ain't that the truth...so what is the song you're playing? It's rather cheerful with a mystical air to it(FFIX Fairy Battle OST).'

'Well, I don't know about you but the town down below is all about tradition so...its way, waaaaaaaaay behind the times. Ma who was from the city taught me how far behind they are in everything. No electricity and no appliances either. These people think they're the only people in the world due to how isolated they are...until ma came to this town sixteen years ago, that is.'

'Then why live in a place like this?'

'Safety.' said Cloud. 'In a town hardly anyone knows existed and no technology to boot, no news will come out, see? She ran away from...a bad life from Midgar. City life doesn't always mean good life is in store after all...sometimes, simple is the best.' he said. 'City people are in neverending materialistic and financial hunger. Thus neverending misery. Here where all everyone cares about are what's enough for comfort, live far more contented lives, hearts in peace. Heck, they don't even know what money is, making lodging for visitors and other tourist-y stuff.'

'Oh my...'

'Well, enough about me...do you need help?' Cloud asked him, eyeing him up and down. 'While the townsfolk simply would say, 'let's leave it to the gods' and wait illness to go away on its own or you just die...ma and I have our own ways.'

The man looked shocked.

'A town that doesn't know how to treat medical ails?! However on earth did you manage?!'

'By being careful because of that.' Cloud giggled. 'This way. There's a nearby Life Spring.' he said. 'The townsfolk think it's poison glowing water and want nothing to do with it. In a way they're right. Life Spring is too powerful for us mere mortals despite being a powerful healing agent. But overdosing on the good stuff...you self-destruct as cells can only divide so much for healing. Cellular Destruction.'

'Life Spring...don't you mean _Mako_ Spring?'

'Nope. Life Spring from literal Lifestream.' Cloud grinned. 'Mako Spring is dead lifestream so its deadlier than it should. You'll see the difference! C'mon!'

* * *

Genesis Rhapsodos came to Nibelheim, finding it on his own was rough as the place wasn't exactly...mapped. All he got was it was near Nime, now called Rocket Town because of Shinra's big project of going outside the Planet. He searched and he spotted a small town with a Mako Reactor on top of the mountain, two landmarks.

He rested his weary wing and walked around until he heard the kid's music.

A song befitting a play on stage.

How he missed seeing an actual Loveless play.

For a boy he possessed beauty, flattered by his spiky hair and fringes, playing his song with a gentle look on his face.

He was attracted.

They made small talk, then offered him help...but he was baffled. How different can this be?

At this point, he's willing to try everything out now dammit, he's a dying man!

* * *

Cloud has incredible physical ability and strong legs despite how he looked.

Well, mountain boys are like this, Genesis supposed.

It was a good half-hour away from Cloud's spot and there it was.

And it's different.

'It's green, not blue...'

'Mako is blue-colored because Mako Reactors literally kills the life within when converted by Shinra's technology.' said Cloud sadly. 'Don't you know that Lifestream is where we go back to when we die? Only to be double-dead-twice by the Reactors? Dying is thus terrifying. The newly-dead avoid going near but the current flow is hard to resist...'

Genesis can only listen to this young man who placed his hand above the spring...and he was doing something, but he had no idea what...

...until an ethereal armored being came out.

Sure it appears female but her presence is so great even Cloud was compelled to kneel before it. He too, kneeled. Whatever this was possessed sublime powers beyond imagination.

'Young Cetra.' THIS KID IS A CETRA?! Genesis' mind was bamboozled. 'You have called on my aid for this tainted child.'

'Yes, Terminal.' Cloud spoke respectfully. 'It is an illness I do not recognize in all my years of spiritual training. Its far...sinister than what mother planet could come up with.'

'That would be correct...for it is not of this world...and foolish mortals caused this to happen in a mad bid for power using children as sacrifices for that power.' said the Terminal coldly. 'Their time shall come and we will not welcome them for the taint they wrought and the destruction of life they caused. I shall heal this child, but my aid does not come free, young man.' she looked at Genesis.

'I'm willing to do pretty much anything at this point...Shinra. Hollander. Aunt Gillian...they made my life and Angeal's life hell with this monstrosity upon us!' Genesis cried desperately. 'Angeal never got this chance I have...idiot chose death when there's a way out! And then there's Sephiroth who is far more tainted than I but far stabler. We never asked for this!'

'We know...for we know what happens on this planet. The child called Angeal Hewley wished for redemption and we have granted him it, after we purged the taint on his life.' said the Terminal somewhat sympathetically to Genesis' tears of relief. 'You will bring your spawn here and your creator. We will welcome the victims, but not the criminals called Hollander, Hojo and Shinra. We have barred from Home the child called Gast Faremis for unsealing that Calamity mistaken for a Cetra and spread her vile self on children as she had done when she was alive. They shall know no peace, cursed to never belong. Go and come back with your task.'

'Yes, Terminal.' and she was gone.

'W-wow youngster...I never thought this was possible...' Genesis shook as they stood up. 'Cetra...huh...and the idiots thought Jenova was a Cetra when Terminal called her a Calamity?! What were they smoking?!'

'Beats me...the songs of money sings beautiful to those with greed in their hearts.' Cloud shook his head. 'Go and do not make Terminal wait. She will come even without me. She will wait for you here.'

'Right...you should go as well.' said Genesis. 'I do not want that bastard Hollander to see you and get any funny ideas. I owe you that much.' he said. 'You...gave me hope when in my anger for two years when I thought I had none...' he shook his head. 'If only I looked in the right place and not relied on science...Angeal wouldn't have died.'

'That's unfortunate.' Cloud sighed in sympathy. 'I shall tell you about Jenova. You could call Jenova a disaster from the outside.'

'From the outside?'

'It came riding on a meteor that bore the Great Crater in the icy continent up north over 2000 years ago.' Cloud told him. 'A devourer from the outside. It and its kind...upon landing upon a planet rich with life, it will destroy every form of life it finds. Eating them all before sucking all life from the Planet for last...and use it as their next ride to the next unfortunate planet in its neverending hunger. Upon feeding, can absorb its prey's memories and form, in order to blend in and work with deceit.' he told Genesis. 'In this way, the creature destroyed most the Cetra civilization. Their daughter race, the humans, hid away while the Cetra were almost eliminated. The few Cetra survivors banded together for the sake of defeating the invader and quarantined it within the North Crater. Despite their victory over the calamity from the skies', the Cetra civilization was lost with their numbers dwindled to almost nothing while humans spread over the planet.'

'Two-thousand years later almost all memory of creature has faded. The Shinra Electric Power Company rules the planet through monopoly of the Power Industry, but is ever seeking a more efficient way to consolidate their power. The Cetra legend of the Promised Land piqued their interest, and the company began to research the Cetra, a race thought long extinct. Approximately 30 years ago, Professor Gast Faremis exhumed the alien creature's remains and mistakenly identified it as a Cetra, naming it Jenova. The Jenova Project became an effort by a number of Shinra scientists to use Jenova's cells to create a human-Cetra hybrid who would lead them to the promised land.'

Genesis was utterly discomforted by the notion that he himself, along with his clones, are freaking half-alien hybrids.

'Shinra was, of course, unsuccessful at creating a Cetra with Jenova's cells, but those treated with the cells proved to be super-soldiers, which led to the members of SOLDIER, Shinra's elite military force, being injected with the cells, as well.' Genesis thought of SOLDIER. Men under his command and others were long since infected?! 'You and two others were born from the project during its first stages when Shinra was still trying to create a Cetra. Most of the early research took place in Nibelheim's Shinra Mansion, and Jenova was contained within the mako reactor at Mt. Nibel. And you already know Hollander's details while Hojo stationed himself in the mansion here. And not long ago, a convoy from Shinra came here in secret, to that mansion using a Helicopter.'

'...what did they do here?'

'When ma and I looked, they put some books in related to Project S...your friend Sephiroth.' Cloud told him. 'We removed those books, and called on Terminal to aid us regarding Jenova. We put her away and ma left for Rocket Town, to help with making the Rocket...we plan on throwing Jenova **out**. It's all we have. To think Shinra's useful for something for once...' he snorted. 'It who invaded...shall be expelled.' and Genesis watched him vanish into lifestream wisps.

'Contributing to getting rid of a disease...eh?'

He stayed in Shinra Mansion, in a room where nobody can see light from windows at night, while waiting for his clones carrying Hollander to come here in a round-about route to avoid being seen. It'll take a while...and it helps that Cloud gives him three meals a day...

Well...

'Hey Cloud, this meat's a little nutty in flavor...'

'Ah, we raise wild boars, not pigs.'

'Wild boars?'

'Yes. They're healthier to eat and the meat is more tender, no?'

'Mm, I agree...I've never had anything like this!' He could deal with a dusty bed as he slept in far worse as both a SOLDIER and fugitive. But he cannot take a bath or taint and curse Nibelheim's waters.

Good thing this place has a cool atmosphere. He slept in a hot place for a year-and-some!

And Cloud talks to him to keep him company, and taught him of the slumbering man in the labs whose emotional baggage was huge, no thanks to Sephiroth's real mother and him for being a 'love martyr'. He was an unfortunate experiment himself, doomed to be immortal as the vessel of Chaos, a semi-WEAPON under the will of another WEAPON, Omega, that the planet calls forth in a time of threat. Chaos is a being born of negative memories and the sins within a naturally occurring stagnated and tainted form of Lifestream. Should the stagnant Lifestream increase in unusually high quantities, its ultimate purpose is to act as an executioner of all life and harbinger of death. This is triggered by the planet's reaction to this imbalance upon periods of great catastrophe, decline, and mass planetary-scale destruction, to allow the rest of the planet's Lifestream to be gathered to a new planet to continue the cycle of life.

Scary prospect, that one, and the man downstairs is his current Vessel.


	2. Nibel Breaktime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth and Zack came to town on orders unaware it was a set-up but foiled beforehand. They're horrified about the culture of the locale. Genesis, now a saved repentant man ponders his future. And they deserve a treat after work stress.

Four days later...

Genesis has gathered all who contained Project G before the spring. It was around the same time when Sephiroth, Zack and two infantrymen were sent to town on a mission.

'Woooow...Nibelheim's so...green!' Zack Fair marveled in awe as the forests in the area were something out of fantasy-land. And the town was full of music that's seemingly random, because children were playing their instruments and some young teenagers while adults did work.

'And we'll have to look for lodging.' said Sephiroth. 'Before we do our jobs. Let's ask around.' he said as everyone literally ignored them, as if they didn't just come in, too absorbed in both music and work.

'Awkward...' Zack sweatdropped. Sephiroth led them to an elderly man and asked for lodging.

'Lodging eh? Our town's never had any visitors, not since the 1970s.' said the old man.

'Really never after that?' Zack asked in disbelief.

'Didn't stay long, those guys. Rude too, didn't even talk to anybody.' the old man snorted. 'Ooh I know! Maybe Cloud can let you stay in his house.' he suggested. 'Go straight ahead, and if you see a house with a bent tree in the backyard, you've got the place. Kid can take you in.'

'Thanks mister!' and they left the old man. 'This is like a sleeopver...but instead of a friend's place, it's up to this guy or we go camping...' Zack said with a grimace.

'If so, then we have no choice.' said Sephiroth. 'We are SOLDIER, we're used to camping out. That's all there is to it.' he said as they went straight down the main road.

Nibelheim's structure was fairly simple, for a town that it's easy to get around...until they saw the location with a familiar tree...

'Oh my god...a dumbapple tree...' Zack gasped out as he and Sephiroth remembered Genesis and Angeal who were fond of the fruit.

Sephiroth marched up to knock on the door.

'Excuse us.'

'Yes?' a young boy's voice called out as a young boy around Zack's age opened the door and...what a beauty, for a boy! 'What can I do for you, visitors?'

'Uhm, this old man says if we asked, you'd let us stay the night?' Zack asked Cloud hopefully. 'We traveled a long way for a job and we need a place to spend the night and get supplies.'

'Very well, two of you can use my room since I'm using my mother's room at the moment.' Cloud offered as he let them inside the living room. 'And two of you can take the couches. You can even use the bath and I will handle the food and supplies...but what for though? I need to know where you're going next at least.'

'The top of the mountain since our employers built a facility there.' Sephiroth told him. Cloud then looked thoughtful.

'Hmmm, about an eight days' climb...and how much do you guys eat in three meals a day? I'll be preparing Food Preserves for you to eat upstairs and I need to know how much you eat because that's a sixteen day trip in total or less, depending on your pace. I'll have to get sun-dried vegetables and salt-cured meat ready. Its what this town ever eats so don't expect city goods here.'

'For Zack and myself, we are required to eat about 5kg of food three times a day.' said Sephiroth. 'As for the men, enough for two meals in one person. Physical activity such as mountain-climbing, is surely demanding on us military men.'

'Very well, I'll have sixteen days' worth of food prepared as well as medication, first-aid, two tents and hygiene supplies. about 35.677 gil.' Cloud piped. 'And sent to my mom's bank account in Rocket Town.' he took out a notepad and showed the account to Sephiroth. He took out his smartphone to get it done.

Cloud then showed them around his house.

The kitchens were a kiln, oven, and a stove. The bathroom? Er...the ground was soil!

'...several buckets of water and what are those jars?' Zack looked at Cloud nervously.

'Chamber pots. Where you wee and poo and beside it is the wastebasket for toilet paper and wet wipes.' the men choked at the idea. 'This town abides by tradition. No electricity nor appliances here, nevermind plumbing.' and that explains the awful-weak signal they have on their phones, as their company-issue phones rely on Shinra's Satellite for signals. 'Its been this way, long before my mom moved here and had me. We're the only ones with city know-how here. It will be a little jarring for newbies at first, but you'll get used to it. Oh yes, when you take a bath, wear those rubber slippers if you don't want mud on your feet. Upon getting out, see this bucket close to the door? Wash the underside of your feet and quickly step on the rug to dry them before you put your shoes back on.'

'By the way, the only modern tech we own is our sun-powered electric generator, a bunch of extension plugs and our washing machine...ma's OK with living traditional but she draws the line at laundry. Laundry by hand is hard. Oh, soap and Shampoo too. This town just uses water for baths.'

'Are all houses like this?' an infantryman whimpered.

'Yup.'

'Haven't they heard of modernization?!' he sounded nearly freaked-out, making Cloud laugh at his expense. His laughter was light-hearted and jovial.

'Nope. My ma and I are the first newcomers they ever interacted with and she came from Midgar's Sector 5 Slums. The Shinra employees from 1970s don't count since according to the old folk, they kept to themselves in the mansion out of town and are super-rude, particularly that Dr. Hojo guy.' the men did a double-take at the specific mention. 'The old folk here who value manners and respect for elderly never forgave nor got over that, so don't tell anyone you work for Shinra or the natives will give you the stink eye _and you're unwelcome for the rest of your life_. In here, you'll be painted by the same brush.' Cloud warned. 'First impressions _last_. Especially if you stood out so much. Say you're from Cosmo Canyon or something and your brief stay is comfy.'

'T-thanks for the warning.' Zack gulped nervously. 'Makes me glad Seph talked to that old guy nicely an hour ago!'

'Yeah, I'm pretty sure by now half the town knows we've got visitors by now...no technology here, so this place hardly gets news, nevermind send news out. In short, this town, is on its own no matter what happens. They're extremely isolated from the world.' Cloud said wryly with an armfold. 'I bet the rest of the world is even aware this town exists save for a few and clearly recommended people NOT to come here if they can't live without Infonet.' Cloud snickered. The men exchanged anxious looks. 'You can rest or hang around, just be polite and nice to the locals or you can have your things washed for tomorrow after a bath.'

'I think I'd prefer resting. Sitting in a travel truck for hours for about five days on end...euuurgh. I wanna stretch my bones.' Zack deadpanned, stretching himself and making his back arch backwards to hear satisfying bone-popping. 'By the way, Cloud, right?' Cloud nodded. 'That tree outside...' he said, glancing out the windows where there's a particularly big Dumbapple Tree bigger than the one in Genesis' house in Banora. Frikkin' huge!

'Oh, the Dumbapple? Ma brought a sapling home when I was nine years old.' Cloud smiled. 'It grew funny people called it the 'weird bendy tree' when it's always like that in Banora Province...but its safe for children to play on it and the apples are for free. Money doesn't exist in this town...only ma and I ever use any because we travel and these guys _don't_. Well, why would they, this town lives off the land and our farming.'

* * *

The military men entrusted their smelly laundry to Cloud while they dealt with the armor.

Cloud then began making a lot of food for several hungry men he'll be sharing the night with. He made Vegetable Soup with leaves and chunky roots and boar meat balls in a huge pot and added in choice culinary herbs and pepper as condiments with a little salt. And it smelled GREAT. Not only that, while it boiled over, Cloud was starting to prepare the easy stuff for packing. Toilet Paper, two bars of soap and shampoo bottles per man, two tents, a box of 60 of Potions, 40 Phoenix Downs incase of fainting, which he put in long, thin boxes for easy-carry. The food and cooking tools are the hard part he'd spend the whole night for.

And so...dinner was simple, but insanely delicious. Vegetable soup with wholewheat bread laden with Apple Jam!

'For Sephiroth and Zack, you can come back for seconds until you fill your 5kg quota of food.' Cloud told them. 'By the way...a person in a black suit has been watching my house.' the men stiffened in their seats. Sephiroth and Zack realized they've been Turk-trailed! 'I saw her while I was hanging my laundry by the small space between Mr. Watts' and Mr. Jenkins behind my house...' he said a little anxiously. 'I feel a little safe with you guys around, but being watched is still creepy.'

'I'll deal with it.' said Sephiroth, quickly going out. Zack knew Sephiroth didn't take being watched too well and being watched by a stranger CAN be unnerving for the blonde. So why was a Turk sent to watch them?? And being easily seen by a civilian...

Either that's a sloppy recruit or Cloud was sharp, Zack thought at the fidgeting younger boy who was clearly unnerved by being watched.

* * *

For a little Reactor check-up, was this necessary?' Sephiroth glowered at the sheepish female Turk whom he chided for...stalking. She has dirty-blonde hair in a high ponytail. Around her torso is a strap and holster for her shotgun with a pouch of rounds.

'Yeah, well I was supposed to report back while keeping secrecy around using Confuse Materia to keep townspeople away from the house, but this place has no signal! It's a Dead Zone!' the Turk grumbled. 'And my clearance isn't good enough yet to get a phone that uses the Satellites for signal, what's with this hippie town? Tseng's prolly wondering why I'm not keeping my scheduled updates.' she sighed. Sephiroth pinched his nose hard.

'Well, I'll inform my own way. For now, maintain secrecy and maybe try NOT to get noticed by our host...he thought you're a stalker.' said Sephiroth dryly with an armfold of amusement.

The Turk choked.

'Well in a way he's right, but not for what he has in mind.' said the Turk wryly. 'The townsfolk are so nosy I needed ten Confuses an hour per person to keep them happy! And I'm about to get tired from casting!'

'Well, where are you spending the night?'

'I'm occupying Mr. Watt's house. The man's a sucker for cute faces.' the Turk grinned. 'I'll keep watch on your host when you're up on the mountains to keep snoopies off his back.'

* * *

And so, with Sephiroth reassuring Cloud that everything was OK, the teenager looked relieved during dinner.

He clearly doesn't take well to being stalked because that means 'he stood out' in the wrong way.

Dinner was very delicious and very filling, with Apple Jam Sandwiches for dessert.

'I've never had such hotpot before! You can really _taste_ the sweetness of vegetables!' Zack praised the meal happily while chowing down on his thick sandwich.

'Well, city folk rely too much on soy sauce, MSG and salt so hardly anyone appreciates the real deal.' said Cloud with a disdainful scoff. 'Here, we sun dry the vegetables as when dried, extra moisture is gone, keeping the flavor in during preservation. So when cooked, they get reconstituted in boiling while they release stronger, more potent flavors their fresh counterparts can't give due to having extra water in.' he explained. 'That's the logic.'

'Heee...'

'Sooo here's the deal guys, hotpots will be your best friend upstairs because Mt. Nibel is cold no matter the season, and its at its worst in winter your lungs will burn from that cold air.' Cloud shuddered. 'I packed you several bags of pre-prepared sun-dried vegetables and packs of salt-cureds and a chicken balls for your hotpots, several loaves of sliced bread and about four jars of Apple Jam, and a pack of Hot Chocolate Powder and Sugar with needed tools for food and drink as well as dishwashing liquid and a sponge. Water materia will be a great help if you have any, but I can lend you mine if you don't.'

They clearly looked troubled.

'Lending you it is.' Cloud sweatdropped. 'Its about to be mastered, so it'll spawn a baby for the last time. You can keep the baby if you like. My family has two anyway.'

'...we appreciate it.' Sephiroth sighed. It's great to have a materia convenient for camping. 'Where to get one though?'

'They're really rare.' said Cloud. 'If you find a natural Mako Spring and a materia's floating on it, you really can't tell what you'd get. All materia look the same. We just lucked out with this one in a place where there's no plumbing so it's worth all the money in the world to my family.' Cloud explained.

The men really can't blame this kid for that kind of thinking.

* * *

Cloud's Room...

'Man, what a night, huh, Seph?' Zack said as Sephiroth took the bed while Zack was on the sleeping inflatable mat. 'A backwards town like you wouldn't believe, a nice meal and a kiddie host. His food made me feel alive.' he said. 'Maybe we were doin' it wrong for years at home.'

'I wouldn't know such food existed given what I'm allowed and not allowed to eat.' said Sephiroth wryly. 'But it does feel nice. Let's sleep, early start tomorrow. We have no guide but Cloud says the mountain trails are clear as day its impossible to get lost even at night. We'll manage.'

And the next day...large carton boxes had ropes tied in backpack fashion and in knots easy to remove and reapply without having to cut them.

'Decide who gets who before going up there.' said Cloud. 'Cooking tools, Food Supplies, Medicine and Aid Kit and Hygiene being the smallest box. Enough for a sixteen day trip!'

That was basically their problem as they left his house.

"Noooow then..." Cloud blew green wispy smoke from his mouth and it left his house via window.

* * *

Shinra Mansion...

Genesis woke up from his sleep, being awoken at ridiculous o'clock with Cloud's disembodied vice whispering in his ears.

**Sephiroth and Zack Fair are here with two infantrymen and a Turk shadow. Do not be seen. Mission: check reactor upstairs but frankly, its a waste of time.**

End of ghostly whispers as when Genesis looked at the small digital clock he has, it's friggin' _sunrise_.

Indeed its a waste of time.

That thing isn't there and so are the books Cloud made him read, but claims its planted falsehoods. Sephiroth was about to snap quite literally as he was the type to bottle everything up unhealthily and not even confide in anyone due to how he was raised. If Sephiroth saw 'that thing' and read the stupid books...he'll become an enemy it'd take great power to kill as he became insane and murderous with nothing stopping him now when before, he was restrained with his morals and conscience.

A bowl of food, three apples and a large apple jam sandwich appeared by the unused vanity desk.

"Time for breakfast before a shower." he thought.

He got rid of his SOLDIER uniform and coat, and wore fresh clothes and boots. It was a red tartan long-sleeved shirt, a black waistcoat and dark gray trousers. All of cotton material and it has a slit for his wing to come out.

He was cured, but the wing is now a biological function. His body was too transformed but Terminal made a compromise. He was perfectly human again, mutation aside and he can live a normal life once more. And he can finally take a shower in the local river safely. Gawd his hair felt damn greasy and he was not only ripe, but also smelled like dead rat in his worst time of degradation. His men however, perished as a mercy kill as making them his copies destroyed their minds, so as penance, each copy he made, he would live for the Planet and act for its own safety. One year per man and he has a hundred followers, basically a life sentence. Why not? He'll become an environmentalist soon.

As for Hollander, he died too, but doomed to 'be lost forever'. Serves the shithead right.

Upon cleaning up, he began pondering about his future. He was filthy rich due to both his foster parents' money and the money Lazard embezzled to fund Hollander. He theoretically can live with no work in comfort for the rest of his life with some stuff extra.

He is no longer a SOLDIER.

Agent would be more apt now. When the world calls, he answers.

He ponders about his future. But hey, in a way, he can redeem himself and become a true Hero.

* * *

Up the mountains...

The trail was very visible with a scenic view, the forests was gorgeous with some wildlife about and monsters mostly ignored them, minding their own business.

'OK Seph, this is weird but a good weird.' Zack choked out as the monsters didn't go for them. 'When we're outside, monsters come at us whether we want it or not. Here, they ignore us!'

'All the better so we can pick a faster pace.' said Sephiroth. 'I find it a good kind of strange. In fact, convenient. This place must be so peaceful they have no reason to be agitated.'

'Figures.' Zack chuckled.

There's so much food all over the place. Wild edibles, mushrooms, herbs, this mountain is a food fest and they studied survival training in Shinra.

'But still Seph, I know we went through Shinra Academy but those are the largest mushrooms I've ever seen, making the stuff we saw and ate in Wutai back then barely-there _runts_.' he said. 'They look so juicy, we should bring some home so Cloud can cook it for us after this job. Just thinking about it, I'm drooling already.' said Zack in utter culinary desire he had a dreamy look on his face.

'Heel, puppy. Heel.' Sephiroth chided in amusement. 'Job first, food later.'

* * *

Sixteen days later...

'Oh my, did you encounter trouble along the way?' Cloud asked worriedly as the quartet looked utterly stressed out.

'That, is an understatement of the year.' Zack was utterly high-strung. 'When we got to the top, monsters were in utter agitation and trashed the facility upstairs! It's in smoke and we had to do pest control! Then there's that giant eight-legged freak...the rest is confidential but we could use some tasty cheering up.' Zack sighed. 'Seph went to make an annoyed report about irresponsibility on who's in charge up there...idiot's dead by now.'

'Oh dear...' Cloud giggled before Zack beamed and dropped a pot full of mushrooms. 'Oh!'

'Pretty pleeeaaaase? They're tasty but what's in Wutai are runts!' Zack whined. 'And the stuff here are so big, fat and juicy-looking!'

'Ohoho! You brought me a lot this'll last me a whole week!' Cloud laughed. 'Tell you what, give Mrs. Keaton a fourth of these things in exchange for five chickens.'

'Er Cloudy, if you sold these, you'd make a killing...me thinks you're gonna overpay the lady...' Zack croaked out incredulously, taking a mushroom as big as his hand as Cloud smirked.

'You'll be eating those words when you see those chickens.' he said, grinning in mischief, all teeth. 'Nibel Grand Fowls are our pride! Vamoose!' still a little reluctantly, Zack got the location from Cloud and went with a basket of mushrooms...

'Oh! Little musician wants five of my dears for his guests?' Mrs. Keaton was a pudgy auntie-type of lady and she's real nice. 'Ohoho! I'll accept the trade of these juicy dears!' she said, taking the basket. 'I'll call my sons to process them.'

'Cloud? A musician?' Zack blinked.

'Yes dear, he crafted musical instruments and he was by far our best songmaker.' said Mrs. Keaton. 'But he was more interested in work than hobby. That boy should know some fun.' she tut-tutted. 'I'll have my sons drop the birds when they're de-feathered and well-done.'

'Thanks ma'am! Cloudy's gonna cook for us! But I'm kinda curious...he said I'll be shocked if I see the chickens here.'

Mrs. Keaton smiled.

'This way dearie. I don't know about chickens where you're from but this became normal to us as of sixteen years ago.' she said, leading him to the large backyard...full of white chickens with red almond-shaped rings around its eyes with black sclerae and yellow eyes with yellow axe blade-shaped stiff combs. Its tail feathers are 15 inches long. The bird in question? Huge is an understatement...a single roast will be enough to satisfy a SOLDIER in one meal!

'Holy cow!' Zack's eyes popped out of his sockets at the largest chickens he's seen in his life. ' _Those_ are _chickens_?! Makes the chickens back home a buncha house cats in comparison!' he squawked out in shock. 'They're huge!'

'Hoho! One fowl is enough to feed a family of seven my dear.' said Mrs. Keaton, chuckling. 'And they lay six eggs every four months. Their meat is succulent and juicy, but heavy on the tummy so we eat them once in a while. So end result, we have a large flock.'

'Understatement of the year...first large mushrooms and now large chickens...what next, huge pigs and cows?'

'Funny you should say that...' said Mrs. Keaton, amused.

Zack looked nearly faint.

* * *

'What's taking Zack so long?' Sephiroth wondered as Cloud was steaming the mushrooms after washing them. 'It's been an hour.'

'I think he got sidetracked. Let him be, you guys are free now right?' Cloud piped up. 'Job done and all. Maybe its his own way of blowing steam before dinner...he did say you guys are annoyed for classified reasons.'

If it was possible, Cloud felt he could have seen a red angry vein appear on his temple and throbbing as Sephiroth looked annoyed.

'Infantrymen nearly died as they're carrying our supplies and other salvaged materials and we fought till sundown.' he sighed as Cloud tried to image such a scenario. 'That was before we could leave. Just what happened to those when fifteen days ago, they were peaceful.'

'You guys earned a break.' Cloud said in sympathy. 'I asked Zack to get chicken from Mrs. Keaton since I got a lot to do...you'll be glad for chicken later! You're in for a treat!'

"???"

What's special about chicken...?


	3. The Beast Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth sees why chicken is special, and Cloud led him and Zack to a surprise. A bewitching song ends in terror.

Zack brought home...six large...er...

...are those really _chickens_? What breed are of _that_ size?

Sephiroth and the infantrymen had the expressions of crashed computers.

'Nicely de-feathered and gutted, these...big palookas.' said Zack with a strained smile. 'Well, with this, we are oh-so-stuffed.'

'There's six and there's only five of us.' Cloud blinked owlishly, pointing the obvious fact out because they can't eat all THAT.

'Ahaha I wanna bring one bird home to my girl.' Zack grinned. 'She'll be happy to get one Nibel Grand Fowl as a souvenir!' ah, so that's the name of that huge bird?

'Zack, on our car and _its a few days'_ trip...' Sephiroth reminded him. 'And this town has no courier service.' he stated flatly with expression to match. That chicken will definitely spoil before it even reaches his girl, he reckoned.

'Oh, that's easy. Use a Time materia on that chicken.' Cloud advised. ''Stop' to preserve the chicken's freshness. It needs about a quarter of your energy to last a day Zack.'

'Sweet! I got one on me this time!' Zack chimed happily as Sephiroth had returned Cloud's Water materia.

'Just remember _when_ you cast it.' Sephiroth reminded him. 'You have 24 hours to reapply it.'

'I know!'

And Cloud wrapped up his souvenir for him in paper after Zack cast the spell on his chicken.

They have free time before their dinner is done.

Sephiroth spent time by the Dumbapple Tree, Zack was doing squats in the living room, and the Infantrymen were elsewhere.

While the chicken was roasting, Cloud approached him.

'Sephiroth, I almost forgot.' said Cloud as Sephiroth glanced at the boy. 'A red-haired man came by while you were gone.' Sephiroth froze where he stood. Genesis has been in this town and he knew where they are! If Chris saw him, the Turks will know and they'll firebomb the town for sure he hoped he wasn't seen. These people didn't deserve that. 'He asked about you and Zack...and when I said you guys will be up there for over two weeks, he left me an instruction.'

'...what did he say?' Sephiroth asked apprehensively. What could Genesis want from them this time?

'He says you and Zack meet him in Shinra Mansion at midnight.' said Cloud. 'I thought he was a little weird, everyone knows you can't go there...ever since it was abandoned, it became a nest of monsters...and there are times we hear frightening roars and howls from there, too. Mostly in the middle of autumn nights.' he said anxiously. 'But nobody's doing anything and Mayor said we best leave it alone...but that guy says he'll still wait for you two there.'

'Very well.' said Sephiroth grimly. 'We'll go at midnight. Can you ensure the infantrymen and the black suit won't follow us?'

'Of course. I have materia on me.' Cloud reassured him.

Materia indeed, Sephiroth thought.

Cloud's body is not fit for martial arts. He has the physique of a normal boy whose body was honed enough to do chores a man is expected to do and that's IT. His eyes are normal yet...why does he possess energy so profound? He's met many well-trained warriors and yet not even they can match this boy in energy. His energy was akin to that of 1st-Class SOLDIERs who are exceptional in prowess. His energy contradicted the fact that even a cadet in the academy can physically own Cloud with no effort.

He subtly cast Sense as Cloud went back to the house.

His energy status? For someone with weak stats all else as expected of a civilian, his energy was profound enough to match his.

He was stunned.

What more, if Cloud trained to reach his full potential? How strong would he be?

Later...

The smell of roast chicken assaulted their senses. But its no ordinary roast sold in any restaurant in Midgar. Its way too good! Legendary Status good!

The smell alone made them week-kneed from desire to EAT.

They MUST eat that damn roast!

'It's done guys! Come and get it!' Cloud called out as each man has a sauce bowl of gravy, and the roast chickens carved up for easy access for consumption. There's also a clearly icy-cold glass mug of lager. While Sephiroth and Zack have whole chickens with some extras, the two infantrymen each have legs and wings from their chicken and by the looks of the size, it's still too much for them, akin to eating for two! As for Cloud, he has enough for a normal boy his age.

'Oh wow, is this gravy what I think it is?!' Zack asked Cloud excitedly as the gravy smells strongly of mushroom and spices.

'There are mushrooms good for soup, stir-fry, and gravy. Half the stuff you gave me went here.' said Cloud with a beaming smile. 'Chow's up!'

'Alright!' three out of four cried happily, scarfing down their roast with sheer gusto while dipping into their gravies. Sephiroth ate with manners...but rushed because he fell in love with his dinner. Combine that with icy-cold lager was sheer luxury at its finest! He was even ensuring his pieces were thickly-coated with gravy and shoving it in his mouth before a drop falls off!

And so...

'That, was wonderful...' Zack sighed in bliss as they were groggy from how stuffed they were. Nibel Lager is so delicious...combine with Cloud's Roast Chicken is sheer luxury at its finest.

'Well, I'll go get your dirty laundry since you guys are leaving tomorrow.' said Cloud. 'I'll get working on it, shall I?'

'Much obliged.' said Sephiroth gratefully. 'I'll take a bath and please wash what I currently have on too. It's all leather.' he asked hopefully. 'That way I have no laundry in my luggage.'

'That's OK, it dries quick anyway.' said Cloud. 'Just dump it out the door.' the man nodded and went to the bathroom and two minutes later, dumped out his clothes. So now Cloud went to the laundry to quickly wash Sephiroth's laundry first, so he can give one outfit to the man when he's done bathing.

When he was, Sephiroth's arm reached out from the partially-opened bathroom door and reached for his clothes, and his underwear of choice is apparently, black trunks.

'Well, me next, I smell really ripe.' said Zack as he went in with his towel and waited for Sephiroth to wipe his feet clean on the fluffy rug and went barefoot with his cleaned shoes, going to put them on while sitting on the couch.

'Oh, hold on a bit Zack, I'll refill the buckets!' Cloud called after him as he went to use his materia to gather water from the outside and filled all buckets.

Cloud need not tell them that he showers with his materia. He was a bit mean that way.

* * *

Dumbapple Tree...

'The kids seem to enjoy playing on this tree a lot.' one of the Infantrymen noted as there are a lot of kids playing on Cloud's backyard.

'Yes. Its like a playground slide for them.' said Cloud, while playing his zither. He showed he was skilled with his work. 'A slide with a soft landing. The branches of that tree are particularly sturdy.'

'This town has no playground though?'

'Well...childhood here is up to seven years old only.' said Cloud. 'Then you learn skills needed in life from parents, and apprentice under a profession you like which later becomes your career. And as this town doesn't use money, we barter-trade for a living. So unlike civilization beyond here, not much time for childhood, is there?'

'Ah...that would suck...'

'Mister Cloudy!'

'Mister Cloudy!'

'Yes, what is it?' Cloud answered the kids kindly who skipped to his side.

'Can you play a song for us?'

'You rarely sing!'

'Ahaha, well I'm so busy because mom is elsewhere...'

'But not now, right?'

'Yup, not now so I guess I can sing.'

'Awright!'

Cloud then looked at the Infantryman. 'Songs here are sung in Nibel Tongue, you may not understand. Is that OK?'

'Well, its how this town works, I don't mind...' said the Infantryman sheepishly.

'Very well.'

When Cloud began to sang after an intro, his voice...which explains why kids want him to sing. He was a very good singer whose voice you can't help but listen to, even if its in a language one can't understand. Inside his house, activity pretty-much paused to listen to him sing. Even the eavesdropping Turk!

By the time he was done, the kids cheered.

'You rarely sing Mister Cloudy!'

'How come? You'd get married quicker that way!'

'Married?' the infantryman inquired. Marriage can't be that easy, can it?

'Yeah...men sing songs to girls they like, but more than one guy may like the girl...best singer wins, so singing and music here is serious business.' Cloud explained. 'But when mom comes home, I'd like it if its my turn to travel so I can't be tied down so soon. And sixteen is too young to marry, I feel I haven't lived my life yet, beyond farming and crafting instruments.' he told the kids. 'So yes, its rare to hear me sing, kids.' he told the children.

'Awwww!'

'Anyway, it's almost lights out now kids, you can play on my tree again tomorrow.' he told the children, reinforcing his gentle voice with magic to get them to obey.

'See ya tomorrow Mister Cloudy!' and the kids ran off for home.

'Well, time to turn in because you'll leave after breakfast tomorrow, its a long drive home.' Cloud and the Infantryman went inside the house.

'Wow Cloud, you can _sing_!' Zack cried in awed admiration. 'Can you sing that in normal language?'

'Yeah, I can, but the breathing pattern makes it a bit tougher and my voice might deepen a little...notice that my voice pitch earlier is a little high?'

'Yeah, we did, so different from now.' said Zack. 'Try in normal people lingo to compare?'

'Alright...'

_When I was alone as one,_   
_my eyes were as blind, I know._   
_Sky brilliant with blue elegance,_   
_I couldn't behold._

Indeed, Cloud's voice was deeper, and he had to put in more effort to deliver same excellent quality.

_When I was alone as one,_   
_My heart was as ice, so cold._   
_Wind whispering sweet melodies,_   
_I could not behold._

_Sight to my eyes,_   
_and warmth to my heart,_   
_Your love has been such to me._

_Pull closer now,_   
_And strengthen my leaning,_   
_Toward love to heal all my wounds._

_When our hearts both beat in time,_   
_There's magic in your smile,_   
_It seems there's nothing we can't do._

_And within your warm embrace,_   
_My heart will find a place,_   
_Even from afar,_   
_Our love forever shall be destiny._

It was a song about the singer who just discovered what love was, from a person who loved them and learned how to love back. The message in the song was very clear.

'Well, I think most of the people in the world who are still single needs to hear that...' the other infantryman croaked out.

'No kidding there.' said the other.

'But still, you can't really sing willy-nilly in this town or that's grounds for instant hook-up...' said Zack with a sweatdrop. 'Why singing?'

'Beats me, it became a trend three years after I became an Instrument Craftsman.' Cloud shrugged. 'Who started that trend, is anyone's guess and it went viral from the---.'

SNAAAARRRRLLL!

ROOOAAAAARRRR!

That startled the bejeezus out of them and they saw a blur whizz past them. It was Cloud who dove under the couch in fright and neighbors were just as freaked out by the uproar in the neighborhood.

'Sonovagun!'

'...its not even autumn yet, why is that thing awake?!' Cloud whimpered, as when the beast howls began, he dived under the couch for cover.

'Zack, with me, now.' Sephiroth growled as he and Zack left, swords out at the ready. 'You two hold the fort for the townsfolk!' he ordered the infantrymen while he and Zack rushed for where it is.

'Y-yessir!'

* * *

'The hell is that?!' Chris demanded to the two SOLDIERs.

'Cloud said there's a beast only awake in its nest once a year and its usually awake in mid-autumn and doesn't bother as long as nobody's _that_ stupid, but it's still summer-end.' said Sephiroth in worry. 'Something must have disturbed its slumber so we'll check it out. Protect the townsfolk and keep them away! Overdose on Confuse for all I care as long as we have no casualty!' he barked at her.

'Right...' and Chris left them to stand guard. "Annually-awake beast at mid-autumn?" she thought while loading her shotgun with bullets and checking her materia braces. All good, so...wait, what're the Infantrymen doing?

* * *

Shinra Mansion...

'Gee, something freaky nested in this crummy mansion?' Zack shuddered as the howls are at the loudest here.

'Cloud called this Shinra Mansion.' said Sephiroth. 'Apparently, Shinra had some people do some work here while residing in this mansion in the 70s as we know, then left a bad impression on the people. Then Cloud said due to abandonment, monsters took space. A nest of monsters. One of whom our howling friend here.'

'Gee, and how lucky are these guys, next door neighbors to that?' Zack griped, anxious as so many things can go wrong here.

'The people dare not go near.' said Sephiroth. 'Smart of them, but anything can go wrong anytime. Like now.' he said. 'Zack, the Turk must absolutely not know.' he warned. 'Cloud said a red-headed man came by and told him to tell us to come here when we could.'

'What?!' Zack turned his head so fast at his superior and friend incredulously. 'So Genesis might have disturbed that thing in the mansion?' he fretted.

'Perhaps. We should go and see.'

Inside the mansion...

They checked on every room carefully but no sign of Genesis, until by the second floor, in a room meant to be a parlor room, was a hidden passage that was opened. The two exchanged looks before going in...

The howls were the loudest here until gradually, it became anguished cries.

'...got it out enough already?' that, was Genesis.

'Haahh...I believe so...so...he can be saved?' the howling monster was actually a **man**! He has a deep, rich baritone, the kind Zack would have called 'sex on legs'.

Save who?

'If the Planet Terminal can save me and my men, he can be, too. Why not try your luck? I can't imagine you being happy this way.'

'...its my repentance for failing her and her son...'

'For how long?'

'Until I see myself worthy of redemption. If only I stopped him sooner...Lucrecia might not have fallen ill...and her son Sephiroth wouldn't be...'

That got the two men pausing where they stood.

'Come on! It's like, over 20 years now, get a grip!'

Sephiroth took that as his cue to barge into a crypt like area that now sembled a warzone. There, was Genesis not in signature coat and SOLDIER uniform, but in casual dress now and his hair a lot shorter.

'You're a little early.' was all Genesis could say with a flat look on his face.

'Answers. Now.' said Sephiroth just as flatly.


	4. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth is not amused. He learns the truth of his origins from the local monster of the mansion.

The monster was once a man named Vincent Valentine, a Turk, assigned as bodyguard to the scientists led by Gast in this very mansion in the 1970s.

They were studying Jenova, an Ancient Fossil Professor Gast once thought as a Cetra whom he excavated in the Northern Crater as the ancient texts said 'like a human, but not'. So they studied it, until Gast decided to leave to focus more on the ancient lore through archaeology, and left study of the specimen to his assistants to make sense of the half they possessed while he hunts the other half.

However, Shinra wanted a hybrid Cetra created when Gast suddenly stopped reports, basically gone AWOL. Because he wanted a Cetra that can lead Shinra to the Promised Land of eternal wealth.

It became a competition between Hojo and Hollander.

Who succeeds, succeeds Gast in his position. The man must have been killed because he didn't take bodyguards on his trip.

Hollander took some specimens with his own team, and left for Banora, while Hojo remained in the mansion.

It so happens that Vincent was in a relationship with one of the scientists, Lucrecia Crescent. They had it good going, until somehow, someone put up data on the computers about his deceased father, Grimoire Valentine. He was a scientist researching stagnant mako who died. Lucrecia fell into grieving hysterics and told him what happened to his father, blaming herself for his death and began distancing herself from him out of guilt no matter what he tried, and consoled herself with Hojo---much to Sephiroth and Zack's disgust.

Weeks later, Lucrecia fell pregnant, and Hojo had a bright idea.

To inject the mother every day with J-Cells to metabolize within her and pass the powers to her child. To Vincent's horror, Lucrecia agreed.

'...I can see where this is going...you need not continue.' said Sephiroth, looking ill. 'This is...wrong on so many levels.'

'Yeah man, Hojo's a slimy greaseball who has yet to see a shower while you're a handsome nice dude who's voice is sex on legs--' Zack earned wide-eyed looks of disbelief from the older men, '--and she chose him?! She coulda had anybody?'

'There...wasn't much option.' said Vincent wryly, twitching at what Zack called him. 'It was only three of us in this mansion. Hollander took most of the assistants away.' he sighed. 'As to why I am the way I am? It started when Lucrecia started suffering hallucinations. Hallucinations that induced pain of burning.'

'Psychosomatic hallucinations? Of what?' Sephiroth frowned.

'A burning town and a lot of people dying.' said Vincent. 'I urged Hojo to stop the experiments because of what's happening, she may miscarry her son whom she named...Sephiroth.' Sephiroth tensed at that. 'Hojo refused thinking its progress and perfectly fine with his wife going insane for results.' Sephiroth and Zack sported a WTF double-take. 'We got into a fight and...he shot me and Lucrecia saw. She was horrified and last I heard is her screaming...and then later, I was inside an incubator. My moments of lucidity are few...but when I fully regained consciousness, I'm the monster I am now. Immortal, frozen in time with monsters inside my body. I have to always fight for the driver's seat, so to speak.' he said.

'I no longer needed food or drink that its no longer necessity, but simply a hobby now, and just sleep. When I came to, I was a rampaging beast. I nearly killed Lucrecia and to calm me down, she shoved a materia in my chest that stabilized me. And she told me what she had done...it was based on her and my father's research that was scrapped by Shinra, deeming it nonsense...but its horrifyingly real.'

'Before she could tell me more, Hojo came and shot me with a load of bullets. When I woke up, I was in the crypt, inside a coffin where Genesis found me.'

'I see...all this, because of my mother. Lucrecia, not Jenova. I was lied to for years.' said Sephiroth in utter grief. And his mother was no better either. Vincent at least cares for him.

'We'll have to see Terminal for the truth that Vincent never knew. Because there's no more data in this mansion. All gone in regards to paperwork.' said Genesis. 'If I dared open the computer, Shinra will know judging by power flow in here before you guys come in here.'

'And now that we're here, we can justify it by wanting the lights open!' Zack grinned. 'Let's do some peeking!'

They did just that.

* * *

'Well?' Chris asked the SOLDIER pair who got back hours later.

'The giant wolf-lion thingy was disturbed by a pair of AVALANCHE Terrorists. They're dog food by the time we came and laboratory down below's a mess. They wanted stuff from the labs by the looks of things.' said Zack, making Chris go green. 'This town is permanently safe, from both idiots and beasts.'

'We'll have that in writing when we go back.' said Sephiroth with a sigh. 'Too much in one day going on.'

'Well, as long as it's all over but you do know I have to check, right?' Chris reminded them.

'Knock yourself out because I sure as hell don't wanna clean those!' Zack grinned. 'Have those creepy white coats do it!'

Back at Cloud's house...

'Cloud! It's all over~!' Zack called out cheerfully. 'Beastie's loooong gone!'

'Really? You'll have to tell Mayor that tomorrow, he'll be happy to know.' said Cloud in relief. 'Its been there, howling every autumn as long as I'm alive and even then, since the 70s.' he said. 'The adults got long used to it, but we always fear a what if...y'know?'

'What if, it came out and decided the town _is_ food.' said Sephiroth sardonically to the terrified blonde who nodded a little too quick it looked comical if not for how grave the situation was in the minds of the townsfolk when in reality, it was a suffering man fighting for his body to protect the people while unable to leave the mansion. 'Its an annual, understandable fear. But when it became routine, you all relaxed...but when it woke out of season, you all have justified reason to be terrified.'

'We do as not even the little kids from earlier are stupid.' Cloud choked out. 'I'm glad you guys are here when this happened...or my mother will come home to a destroyed town for sure.'

'Well, calm down now OK? The Annual Spook is long gone.' Zack reassured Cloud who felt better. 'It's all over.'

'Yeah...don't be surprised if the town threw a party in your honor tomorrow...they would want to and you should graciously accept it.' Cloud smiled. 'Surely your boss will cut you some slack since you did your job here anyway.'

The men choked at that. A party in their honor...?

* * *

'A party, huh...?' Chris looked amused.

'Cloud said it definitely WILL happen if we tell the Mayor we killed their Annual Spook.' said Zack, embarrassed. A lie because Vincent promised to leave town with Genesis just to calm the townsfolk. They didn't kill the guy who is yet, another victim of the scientists' whims. Sephiroth was upset with his real mother and wished Vincent WAS his father as he actually gave a damn about him while his parents played God with his life he asked Cloud for a barrel of Lager and everyone to leave him alone afterward as he'll drink elsewhere. 'Seph chucked me to talk to you about it while he tells the Infantrymen what happened in the mansion so they can write their report to Infantry. What happens if we stay?'

'I'll have to ask Veld about that.' Chris giggled. 'Once we get word, it depends on whether we can stay or not.'

'Yeah, you do that. We earned good will by being good boys with good manners and now, we're heroes too.' Zack grinned, giving Chris Sephiroth's phone. 'We'll be up for a little bit longer. Our host already went to sleep. He doesn't deal well with scares. This town is too peaceful and relaxed, they don't do well in what terrifies them.'

'Yeah...peaceful alright.' Chris shook her head. When that roar came 'out of season', she had to deal with a screaming, terrified town who quickly locked and bolted up, and put out their lamps. 'Gotta go.' and she ran off with Sephiroth's phone.

* * *

'...so that's what to expect next?'

'Yeah. Their host is certain there will be a party in their honor. They can't turn it down, as its a very big deal to the townsfolk that their Annual Spook is terminated.'

'Heh, why not? All the more publicity. But still, a town with no technology and lives like primitives...that wasn't in the report over twenty years ago. Investigate and make sure nothing salvageable is in that mansion, even if the battle destroyed the entire basement.'

'Sir.'

* * *

Next morning...

Wrapped up in bandages and fake blood as the people haven't heard of Potions, Sephiroth reported to the Mayor...and all hell broke loose as Cloud predicted.

'Will you look at that.' Genesis mused, watching from a tree with Vincent and Cloud. 'A Hero's Welcome.' he once dreamed of this for himself, but alas, by his own doing...it can never be. But he accepted it.

'Well, its to be expected.' Cloud chuckled. 'What will you two do from now on?'

'Terminal stabilized me but refuses to cure me until a great disaster is averted. Then I will be a normal man once more.' said Vincent. 'At least I no longer have Galian Beast, Hellmasker and Death Gigas. Chaos remains asleep so its the best I can get. I will travel with Genesis to act as the arms of the Planet.'

'And he's a bit behind the times...something I'll rectify.' Genesis snorted.

'I know I'm old, you don't have to rub it in.' Vincent petulantly grumbled, making Cloud giggle.

'But we got something out of this.' said Cloud. 'Sephiroth is permanently cleansed, and his body will lie to Shinra forever regarding Sephiroth's physiology, and cannot be tainted by Jenova ever again. He is safe. What more if mom succeeded in using that Rocket to kick Jenova out of our world forever...it will be our victory. Let's deal with the remaining specimens in Hojo's possession and I'm counting on you two for that. Steal and find my mother in Rocket Town. She'll put the specimens with Jenova.'

'Right...'

'Well, gotta go. It's a whole community party...' and they parted ways.

* * *

Music.

Food.

A lot of dancing.

A town-wide party of celebration.

'Hey there, you're all awkward by yourself.' said Cloud, approaching Sephiroth as Zack and the others were dancing with the ladies.

'Well, I'm still a bit out of it...and I'm not used to parties.' said Sephiroth. 'Even in Shinra Banquets, I'm what you'd call a Wallflower.' that got Cloud giggling. 'Then again, its all business. Politics. Shallow Smiles. Cloying Perfumes and thick make-up with revealing dresses and trying to outwit each other. Here, its all music and smiles. I've never seen a party like this with real enjoyment.'

'That's why go out there and enjoy. This is your first and may be your last true party.' Cloud encouraged. 'A real party should be like this. Positive happy energy and genuine enjoyment. No political and business pitfalls. C'mon!' he offered Sephiroth his hand with a charming smile.

Eventually, Sephiroth reluctantly took his hand and joined the dance floor...

* * *

Shinra Building, Turk HQ...

'UOOOOOHHHH?!'

'I can't believe this!'

'Is that really Sephiroth?!'

'What magic did they do?!'

Chris brought home quite, the video feed of the party and every black suit present is in utter disbelief.

Sephiroth was genuinely smiling and enjoying the festivities when before in Company-Issued Parties, he was a grump! He stuck with the pretty boy he was with.

'Er Chris, about that pretty blonde...' Reno began. 'He always stuck by him...don't tell me he's gay for the kid?'

'Nah, he just really enjoys Cloud's company.' Chris snorted at Reno's theory. 'Zack has a lot to say about Cloud because his personality was such that even Sephiroth likes him and that's quite the accomplishment. He hardly likes anyone. And being a good cook helps. Cloud makes a mean roast giant chicken.'

'Giant Chicken?'

Chris pointed at the food area where people are roast-spiting a lot of giant poultry.

'Native only to Nibelheim.' Chris chuckled. 'Zack brought home a whole chicken for his girlfriend.'

'Whoa, monsters!'

'I'd want one of those...'

'So boss, here are their reports, as the boys are drunk and went home and asked me to file this for them. Yes, even Sephiroth. He grew to like Nibel Lager he chugged own three barrels of the stuff like a champ.' said Chris, giving Veld written reports in...what paper is that...? It's long, and lime-green in color and thick-looking.

'Er...?'

'Parchment. The town hasn't heard of Bond Papers.'

'You can't be serious.' Veld sighed in exasperation. 'We have to rewrite this in proper material, not whatever heck this is.'

'Parchment is ancient paper...basically preserved and treated sheep or goat skin.' Tseng helpfully supplied. His company went green at the idea.

'THEY WRITE ON SKINS?!' the more emotional Turks howled.

'They do.' Chris sweatdropped. 'Its a little uncanny.'

'What of the town? You got orders to do Culture Research.' Tseng reminded her.

'When I'm through, you guys won't want to live there, unless its to live the life of a character in a fantasy novel.' Chris grumbled. 'No internet, a couple days of no games or Netflix!'

'What a torture.' Tseng drawled, amusement in his eyes and he had to dodge a paperweight and so did others behind him.

'Oh yes, Sephiroth has one last word if no one wants to die.' Chris piped up. 'Disturb him while sleeping off his lager he won't hesitate to skewer you regardless of identity and rank. Zack also gave the same warning. Nibel Lager is delicious, and the hangover in turn was one hell of a punch. Its that strong...and I had to cart the infantrymen to the Infirmary.' she put a large glass bottle on the table. 'Shall we study how strong this tasty boy is? Its really delicious!'

'And you're not drunk?'

'Well, I got warned by the ladies that if you're not a native, start slow. So I drank only two mugs while the guys went crazy with it. Its apparently the only thing to buzz a SOLDIER.'

'Wow...'


End file.
